Automatic seal for containers



De.22,19-42. R. P. LAKEY Em 2,306,065

AUTOMATIC SEAL FOR `CONTAINERS Fil'ed Nov. 27, 1940 Inn/Enf To Rs.

Patented Dec. 22, 1942 AUTOMATIC SEAL FOR CONTAINERS Robert Percival Lakey, North Perth, Western Australia, and Grace Mary Ings, Guildford, Western Australia, Australia Application November 27, 1940, Serial No. 367,474 Iny Australia June 10, 1940 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic seals for containers.

The sealing device is attached to the neck of the container and by its use it is possible to open or release the seal and to pour liquid out of the container with the use of one hand. This is done by pressing a lever which lifts a cap, then pouring out as much of the contents as are required and finally releasing the lever which by spring action results in the cap automatically resealing the container.

The invention consists in the use of a spring clip which engages the neck of the container, an anchor member connected to the spring clip, a lever pivoted to the anchor member, a cap connected to an extension of the lever and springs tending to hold the cap in the sealing position.

The invention will however more readily be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the device, the top part of the bottle being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is an elevation from the rear; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the device, the open position being shown in dotted lines. As shown in the drawing there is a lever or handle member IIJ. There are springs I2 and I3 connected to an extension ofA the lever and also to an anchor plate I4. Also connected to the anchor plate member is a spring clip I5 which is adapted to hold the device to the neck of the container or bottle. A rivet member I6 connects the lever to a metal cap I 1, the connection of this member to the extension of the lever allowing a certain amount of movement but being rmly connected to the cap I1. Inside the cap I'I is a pliable sealing Washer I8. Laterally extending ears are formed with the opposed sides of the lever Ill and are pivotally connected as at II to the outer face of the anchor plate I4. It is to be noted that the handle or lever member, anchor plate and spring clip are stamped from sheet metal. The anchor plate being elongated longitudinally and of stepped or graduated conguration whereby it may t closely adjacent the neck of the bottle or other container and yet support the handle or lever member at the required distance from the bottle as would enable the operator to gain a leverage suilcient to more easily release the cap from the opened end of the bottle should the sealing washer adhere thereto. Furthermore, relatively long coil springs I2 and I3 may be employed for connecting the extension of the lever member to the anchor plate whereby the sealing washer of the cap may be retained upon the opened end of the bottle for properly sealing the same.

The device functions in the following manner. A container is grasped with one hand and the lever I0 pressed down against the spring action.

This releases the cap I1 from the mouth of the bottle, the position being that illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The required portion of the contents is then poured out of the container and the lever released. The springs I2 and I3 thereupon bring the cap back to the sealing or closed position.

We claim:

l. An automatic seal for containers comprising a spring clip adapted to engage the neck of the container for supporting the same upon the container, an elongated anchor plate having a stepped conguration adjacent the container and having a base portion adapted to seat against the container wall, means for connecting the medial portion of said spring clip to one face of said anchor plate adjacent the lower end thereof, a lever member, a pair of laterally extending ears formed with said lever member, means for pivotally connecting said ears to the opposite or outer face of said anchor plate, an extension formed with one end of said lever member, a metal cap loosely connected to the outer end of said extension, a sealing washer mounted within said cap and adapted to close the opened end of the container,

a pair of detachable coil springs each having one l end connected to said extension of the lever member and their opposed ends connected to the outer face of said anchor plate and a handle formed with the opposite end of said lever member.

2. In an improved automatic seal for containers comprising a closure cap, gasket means in said cap, an arm extending transverse the center of said cap, a handle depending downwardly from said arm along the container wall, an elongated anchor plate extending down from the top of said container being so shaped and so formed as to interi-it with the configurations of the container wall, said anchor plate having lower stabilizing means adapted to rest against the container wall, a spring clip secured to the said stabilizing means, a pair of ears extending from said handle, pivot means adapted to connect said ears to each side of said anchor plate, cap holding means secured to each side of the anchor plate below the handle pivot means at one end and secured to the arm extending transverse the cap center, inside the pivot means and above the adjacent edge of the cap, and joint means between said central portion of the cap and said arm end adapted to provide rolling movement of the cap about the arm end to automatically align and seal the cap over the container mouth.

3. The device as dened in claim 2, wherein the joint means is a ball joint.

4. The device as described in claim 2, wherein the cap holding means comprises a pair of elongated coil springs adapted to pull downward on the said cap.

ROBERT PERCIVAL LAKEIY. GRACE MARY INGS. 

